A famous US Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart once opined on obscenity: “I know it when I see it.” The Maryland Board of Medicine weighed in on whether it was unprofessional to write a prescription for a patient at a restaurant / bar. Excerpts from the legal case tell the tale. On October 1, 2012, … Read more
First, let’s discuss the difference between a service animal and a therapy animal. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, “service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are … Read more
Ebola is making a comeback in Africa. Fortunately, the World Health Organization is on top of it. Further, vaccines are being distributed. Hopefully these vaccines will prove safe and efficacious. Which brings me to Coming Attractions Bride and Formal in Ohio. “Coming Attractions” went out of business. They sued a Texas Hospital for their economic … Read more
When you vote, supporters for a candidate carrying leaflets and signs have to stay outside of some defined perimeter. You’re not supposed to be pestered as you walk into the voting booth. And, there are billboards of personal injury attorneys not too far from hospitals. But, you’d never see an ad for a personal injury … Read more
Imagine you received a request for records from a medical malpractice attorney. Not a good start to your day. But, the clock is ticking. The statute of limitations is about to run. If the clock runs out, you’re home free. (Actually, not always the case, since the statute of limitations is an affirmative defense. You … Read more
We have previously written about medico-legal challenges related to brain death determination. The American Academy of Neurology updated its guidelines in 2010 to create more uniform determination. Its checklist is as below. There’s a checklist related to systemic information (eg: the patient is in a coma, systolic blood pressure or body temperature are not abnormally low). There’s a checklist … Read more
Not too long ago, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled on a case called in re Cassanda C. The case dealt with a mature minor; someone not quite 18, but close, and whether they are entitled to make their own medical decisions. If any reader has teenage children, you will readily appreciate they can be headstrong. … Read more
It’s been said the only thing certain in life is death and taxes. Tax rates vary by state. And, what may come as a surprise to many doctors, the definition of death (or how someone is declared dead) is not uniform across all 50 states. A little background. For centuries, death was straightforward. It was … Read more
While the issue has been fluid, as of the date this post was penned, the Icelandic parliament was considering a bill to outlaw male circumcision for nonmedical reasons. The bill, introduced […] by four political parties, uses the same wording as a 2005 Icelandic law banning female genital mutilation, changing the word “girls” to “children,” Silja Dogg Gunnarsdottir of the centrist Progressive … Read more
We continue with our series of general educational articles penned by one attorney, an MD, JD, giving you a view of the world through a malpractice plaintiff attorney’s eyes. This attorney is a seasoned veteran. The series includes a number of pearls on how to stay out of harm’s way. While I do not necessarily … Read more
